Dark Elf Swordsmen
|upkeep_cost = |num_figures = |moves = |melee = |ranged = ( ) |defense = |resist = |hits = |abilities = Ranged Attack x4 Large Shield }} Dark Elf Swordsmen are a type of Normal Unit that can be recruited in Dark Elf Towns containing at least a Barracks and a Smithy. Swordsmen are a basic combat unit available to all Races. They are better defended against Ranged Attacks than other low-tier units, but generally don't pose much of a threat to more advanced units. They do become somewhat stronger through though, and Dark Elf Swordsmen can also try to engage weaker opponents with their instead which, while less effective, do not provoke Counter Attacks when fired from a distance. Dark Elf Swordsmen have a Construction Cost of , and require an Upkeep Cost of and to maintain. Failure to pay these costs will result in the unit being disbanded automatically. Unit Properties Physical Description Dark Elf Swordsmen are a group of slender humanoids with violet-colored skin and white hair. They dress in brown leather clothes, carry swords for up-close-and-personal combat, and a large red buckler which protects them from enemy arrows and other ranged attacks. Dark Elves are inherently magical beings, and can channel magical energy into a destructive force on a whim. They are also incredibly resistant to magic and other ill effects. Dark Elf Swordsmen are a , containing up to soldiers. Attack Properties Dark Elf Swordsmen possess a Melee Attack that will initially only be threatening to other low-tier Normal Units. They have an Attack Strength of , which yields an average "raw" output of per Swordsman. While this can be decent against lighter armor, it's still not quite enough to consistently hurt well-protected opponents. Dark Elf Swordsmen do get better with though, both in strength and accuracy. At the level, the maximum normally attainable, their attacks will do over twice this much - points of "raw" , on average, per Swordsman. Characteristic to their Race, Dark Elf Swordsmen can also wield magic to perform Ranged Attacks four times per battle. However, these only have an initial strength of , resulting in an average output of . In other words, there is only a 30% chance for each Swordsman to inflict any on the opponent with this attack, which may then possibly be negated by a Defense Roll. Therefore, these are highly unlikely to get through any armor at all, although at least they suffer no penalties for range, meaning that the unit can shoot at targets over any distance with the same efficiency. The magic of Dark Elf Swordsmen is considered to come from the Realm, and this is what their Ranged Attacks are associated with. As such, they will trigger the conditional modifiers granted by the , , and spells, and are much less effective against targets bearing these Unit Enchantments. While they are not considered to be direct , and are not nullified outright by Magic Immunity or , the effects' will nonetheless make any opponent possessing them virtually impossible to hurt with these attacks. It's also worth noting that due the way the game decides which Attack Type will be used against an adjacent target, Dark Elf Swordsmen will generally not be able to shoot at any enemy they are standing next to. This is because to do so, their strength needs to be higher than half of their , rounded down. Normally, this will not be the case unless the unit has already reached the level, and has no other modifiers to its Attack Strength. This can also trigger a serious flaw in the mechanics. As long as they have any shots left to fire, the presence of a Ranged Attack allows Dark Elf Swordsmen to target units. However, if that target is adjacent, the actual attack performed against it will always be a melee one unless the above condition is met. Unfortunatey, this will be prevented from causing any to the opponent, since as a unit, Dark Elf Swordsmen are technically not supposed to be able to initiate such an attack in the first place. As a result, the target will never be harmed, yet the Swordsmen will take the full force of its Counter Attack. Defensive Properties Dark Elf Swordsmen are lightly armored, possessing a Defense score of . They can deflect about points from Conventional Damage attacks, on average. Unfortunately, this is rarely enough to avoid anything but the weakest attacks. Like all Swordsmen however, they carry Large Shields, which grant an extra against all types of Conventional Damage that is delivered at a range. This brings their average reduction up to against , , and , as well as , , the hidden Conventional component of most Gaze Attacks, and all spells and effects that deal Conventional Damage, including Area Damage. As with most common foot soldiers though, each Dark Elf Swordsman has only . In other words, each point of inflicted on this unit will kill off one of its . They do possess a remarkably high Resistance score for their tier though - with , they have a fair chance of avoiding Unit Curses and combat maledictions. , , and even also improve with . Other Properties Dark Elf Swordsmen move at a slow , and can only traverse land tiles. The unit has no special movement properties. Basic Strategy Dark Elf Swordsmen are a step up from the basic Dark Elf Spearmen. Stronger on the attack, and better defended against spells and ranged opponents, they can serve as a decent main-line unit in the early stages of the campaign. The Barracks and Smithy required to recruit them are typically cheap enough to build in every Town, especially since the latter is also needed for some of the economical Town Buildings, and is likely to be constructed sooner rather than later. Because of their defensive advantage, Swordsmen are often a better choice than Spearmen for garrisoning frontier Settlements and contested areas. However, it should be noted that unlike Spearmen, they also cost to maintain in addition to , and their lower count makes enhancements effects slightly less pronounced for them. Ability Overview Ranged Attack x4 * This unit may use a instead of a Melee Attack up to 4 times in each battle. Once the unit's ammo is expended, it must resort to Melee Attacks. Large Shield * This unit receives a Defense bonus of against all types of Conventional Damage delivered at range - including all Ranged Attacks, short-range attacks, and . Experience Table The following table illustrates how Dark Elf Swordsmen improve with Experience. Any properties that are not listed here are not affected by in any way. * To achieve this level, either the Warlord Retort or the spell must be in play. ** To achieve this level, both Warlord and must be in play simultaneously. Average Damage Output The table below details the average amount of "raw" that each in a Dark Elf Swordsmen unit will deliver with each type of attack, based on . It can be used in comparison to the target's Defense rating to approximate the chance of hurting that target. Acquisition Dark Elf Swordsmen may be recruited in any Dark Elf Town that has both a Barracks and a Smithy already built. The Construction Cost of this unit is . Dark Elf Swordsmen may also appear as Mercenaries, provided that the player has a presence on Myrror. In this case, they cost between to to hire per unit, based on their - or half that much for Charismatic Wizards. Category:Units Category:Normal Units Category:Dark Elves Category:Swordsmen